Ben Franklin and John Adams sign the peace treaty with England, ending the Revolutionary War (11/30/83). At Newburgh, New York, some members of Washington's officer corps want him to become King and take over the country. Washington puts down the revolt -- with his eyeglasses (3/15/83). He then races to Congress and resigns to become, once again, a farmer and private citizen (12/23/83). When King George III hears that the conquering general has not seized power, he says, "He will be remembered as the greatest man who ever lived."
James tells Sarah and Henri the story of the attempted military coup and the three Kids journey to Maryland to see Washington offer his resignation to Congress.
With the signing of the Treaty of Paris, loyalists are forced to leave their homes. Many slaves move to Canada to avoid being returned to slavery. American soldiers return home, many of them to abject poverty. Shays’ Rebellion and other events make it clear that the United States requires a st...
Massachusetts slave “Mum Bett” sues for her freedom (5/28/1781). When she wins, she renames herself Elizabeth Freeman (8/81). With this decision and that in the case of another slave, Quok Walker, Massachusetts has abolished slavery (1783). In Great Britain, a bitter, recalcitrant King George ...
America’s leaders meet at a convention in Philadelphia and decide to write a radical new Constitution. Ben Franklin, in his final moment on the world stage, helps forge the “Great Compromise” on legislative representation. James Madison writes much of the Constitution, the lawful embodiment of ...
